Asset was disqualified under section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits anyone engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding federal office. This was the first time that Article 3 was used to disqualify a presidential candidate.
Here’s what Colorado’s disqualification means for Trump:
The ruling issued Wednesday by the Colorado Supreme Court only applies to Colorado. Additionally, it only mentions the March 5 primary elections, when Republican voters will choose their candidate for president of the United States.
This means that Trump may not appear on the ballot in Colorado for this vote and he can still run in other Republican primaries, the Guardian reported. The Colorado court’s decision does not directly address the general election.
However, Colorado temporarily suspended its decision until January 4, which would allow the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether to accept the case, the Guardian reported.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign announced it would appeal the Colorado decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This would likely constitute a landmark case because: If the U.S. Supreme Court ruled “directly on whether Trump is disqualified under the Constitution, its decision would apply in all states, not just Colorado “, reported Bloomberg.
The report adds that given the unprecedented nature of the case and the composition of the court, “it is likely that the justices will overturn the Colorado decision.”
Could this decision impact the 2024 US elections?
Even if the decision survives review by the Supreme Court, it could have no impact on the outcome of the November 2024 elections. This is because Trump doesn’t need to win Colorado and this is not expected, given his strong Democratic leaning, Reuters said.
Colorado has nine of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Joe Biden had won the state by more than 13 percentage points in the 2020 election. According to the BBC, Trump is far ahead of his Republican rivals and therefore can still win his party’s nomination without competing in Colorado.
On the contrary, the BBC also reported that the Colorado case could have “wider implications for the general election.”
There are similar lawsuits seeking to block Trump from running in the 2024 election. Additionally, there could be more such complaints filed in competitive states that Trump must win to prevail. If courts in the most competitive states follow Tuesday’s ruling, Trump’s 2024 White House bid could face serious problems.
“Even though neither court would be bound by the Colorado ruling, the justices will likely study it closely while drawing their own conclusions,” Reuters reported.
So far, Trump has faced several Challenges to the 14th Amendment in Various States. Suits citing the 14th Amendment have been rejected by nine courts: in Michigan, by the Colorado District Court – leading to an appellate battle there – and by the Minnesota Supreme Court, a district court of Washington and the federal courts of Arizona and Rhode Island. , New Hampshire and Florida, according to reports.
Trump is currently the front-runner in the Republican Party’s nominating process for the 2024 White House race. The Trump campaign has vowed to appeal the Colorado Supreme Court’s “erroneous” ruling to the Supreme Court the United States.
The consequences
Apart from this, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy pledged to leave the GOP primary ballot in Colorado unless former US President Donald Trump is reinstated.
“I am committed to withdrawing from the Colorado Republican primary unless Trump is also allowed to appear on the state ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie and Nikki Haley do the same immediately – otherwise they tacitly approve of this illegal maneuver, which will have disastrous consequences for our country,” Ramaswamy posted on X, calling out his fellow candidates in the GOP presidential primary.
Another leading Republican presidential candidate, Chris Christie, said voters, not the courts, should determine whether Trump should be “prevented” from seeking re-election to the White House.
(With contribution from agencies)
Unlock a world of perks! From insightful newsletters to real-time inventory tracking, breaking news and a personalized news feed, it’s all here, just a click away! Log in now!
Catch all Economic news, Market News, latest news Events and Latest news Updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates.
Published: December 21, 2023, 06:05 AM IST